They are artists: Dylan DeRose

My practice is in a state of constant flux so it’s difficult to determine. However, I can say that right now I’m interested in questioning the authenticity in sense of place that a constructed environment provides. To do so, I harness various strategies which includes; photography, sculpture, video, and text.

How did you begin your art journey?

I took up art when I realised how frightening it’d be to live a passive life. I mean, who wouldn’t want to live a life of chasing odd creative ventures?

How do you transform inspiration into works?

Largely it starts with a grand general epiphany to which I research about manically. I then create small mini projects based on my research while simultaneously wrapped in a cloud of thought. I then refine, research, and produce more mini projects from the original idea until I’m happy. Once ready, I produce a final body of work and dump a bunch of money in. It’s a slow process but it ensures that I’m confident in my output.

Process for me is funny because I’ve learned rather recently that it’s something you just fall into. Just within my last few projects I’ve really started to congeal my working methods and I think my output really shows for that.

Image courtesy of Dylan DeRose

Is there a dream project that you wanted to?

I’d love to have free reign over a large theme park and turn the environment into a garden of installations which question the reality suggested by adapting the elements in which the illusion is dependent on. If any affiliate from Ocean Park is reading this, hit me up.

Is there a place in Hong Kong that inspires you a lot?

I find the hardware shops on Shanghai streets to be super inspirational, there’s always cool new materials to inspire me. Besides that, I’m really drawn to the various Chinese gardens around town due to their attempts at simulating utopia via idealised naturalism mimicking other forms of naturalism. In addition to that, I really dig the corporate adaptations of Chinese gardens which are placed in private residential courtyards, they’re especially interesting to walk in alone at night.

Which Hong Kong artist you admire the most?

It’s a tie between Mak Ying Tung and Adrian Wong. They both have so much fun with what they create. It inspires me to stop making such serious brooding work.

What’s the struggle for being an artist?

Large vision requires large capital. Previously it was incredibly tough prioritising between spending on comforts (a bed/wifi in my apartment) or fulfilling vision.